1. Field
A refrigerator and an operating method thereof relate to providing a multipurpose compartment to a partition partitioning a storage compartment into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment, and cooling the multipurpose compartment with cool air generated from a first evaporator and a second evaporator.
2. Description of the Related Art
A refrigerator uses a refrigerating cycle including compressing, condensing and evaporating to store items therein at a low temperature for a long period of time. An inner part of the refrigerator is formed with a storage compartment supplied with cool air generated by the refrigerating cycle, and storing the items. The storage compartment is partitioned, according to the amount of the cool air, into a freezing compartment storing the items below the freezing point, and a refrigerating compartment storing the items at a relatively high temperature, that is, above the freezing point.
Recently, a refrigerator formed with a multi storage compartment capable of extending the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment as necessary has been introduced. Also, a refrigerator formed with a multipurpose compartment storing an item under a temperature condition different from the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment has been introduced.
However, in the conventional refrigerator, since the multi storage compartment or the multipurpose compartment is cooled by using the evaporator extended from the evaporator cooling the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment are overcooled, and manufacturing costs increase. Also, in the conventional refrigerator, since the compressor is excessively operated to cool the multi storage compartment or the multipurpose compartment, operating efficiency of the compressor decreases, and power consumption costs increase.